Affored gave you a great list of basics. Keep plenty of high quality fly spray around for daily use. Other essentials I keep in my grooming tote are Swat to put on cuts/scrapes, Mineral Oil for hooves and as far as shampoo goes I like the tried and true Mane & Tail. You don't need to bathe them that often though... a good curry does wonders :)

I'd also add a good detangler (I love Canter Mane & Tail) and a hairbrush to the list. I just use a human cushion hairbrush with plastic spines like http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001T8S7T8/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1- it's a little easier on the hair than a solid brush/metal spines.

I like EZ All for full-body washing, but I usually only do a full wash before a show. For spot cleaning, I just use whatever horse shampoo is handy.

Oh, if you're bathing you'll also want a sweat scraper to get all the excess water off.

My favorite grooming tool is a rubber grooming mitt. It fits on your hand like a mitt and has a coarse and a fine side (with different sized nubs) The coarse side you use in a circular motion all over the horses body and it pulls out all the dead hair and dirt, etc. and then you just brush it all off. The fine side works well on the face, legs, and sensitive areas and it really cleans them up. I have used it for about two weeks and my horse's coats are gleaming now, even though they still have a bit of shedding to do. It also works well for applying fly spray or skin medication on horses who do not like spray bottles, or areas you don't want to spray like the face.

Start saving bacon grease. It is marvellous for healing bug bites around the base of the ears, around the sheath or teats. If you can't then use petroleum jelly - the bugs don't like it. Slather it or the grease way up between the hind legs as that is one area the bugs like to dine. Either product last about 3 days, better than spray.

Thank you so much I got clippers,halter,and a rubber grooming mitt that has a coarse and fine side.Barbie has a lot more shedding to do yet.I have been feeding her rice bran I will upload pictures to prove this her belly is huge and its making her body pretty.I love rice bran a lot

You should have a couple buckets on had, a hose, some sponges and a curry comb. Use a sweat scraper to help your horse dry faster and you will also want to have a mane and tail comb handy. It is also a good idea to have a clean, dry halter and lead rope on hand for after the bath when your horse is dry and clean.

You will need a good horse shampoo and conditioner. A gentle moisturizing horse shampoo will lift away dirt easily. Shampoo & Conditioner deep cleans and revitalizes hair in one step. Color Enhancing Shampoo intensifies natural colors within the coat while leaving it soft, smooth and shiny. Whitening Shampoo should be used if you horse is light colored or has white markings or socks. No Rinse Shampoo and Spot Removers will be handy if your horse gets dirty before the show. Use a Sheath & Udder Cleaner for those sensitive underneath areas so that every inch of your hose is dirt free. Conditioner especially designed for horses will moisturize your horse’s coat while leaving it smooth to the touch. Detangler strengthens and moisturizes manes and tails to help keep hair healthy and tangle-free.

After your horse is clean, it is time to clip. Start on the muzzle and use clippers to remove the large whiskers and then use a horse razor to get every last whisker. Be sure to clip under the chin and jaw as well. Clip the whiskers above the horse’s eye, but be sure not to trim the eyelashes. Trim the horse’s ears so that they look smooth and pointed. Remove ear hair that sticks out and looks unsightly, but the inner ear hair should be left to help deter bugs. The bridle path should be trimmed from the poll towards the withers about 4 – 6 inches long. You will need to trim around the horse’s coronet band so that when you apply hoof polish, there is no hair in the way. Also clip the long hairs on the fetlock. Some horses grow long hair on the back of their cannon bone that should be trimmed as well. If you want your horse’s hair to be very short, cut against the natural direction of the hair. If you want the horse’s hair to blend in nicely with the surrounding hair, cut with the direction of the hair.

Finally, it is time to perfect your horse’s mane and tail. If you have a pleasure-type hose, such as an Arab or Morgan, you will want to leave the mane long and natural. If you have a stock-type horse, like a Quarter Horse or Thoroughbred, the mane should be about 4 inches long and banded for the show ring. Banding can be time consuming. Using a light coat of Quic Braid will help you get the perfect grip for your fingers, neater braids and less stray hairs. Getting your horses tail ready is easier. Just brush it out, braid it from the bottom of the tail dock down and stuff it into a tail bag.

Thank you so much for the help.It looks like it's going to rain in my area so I cannot wash her today.I can clip her just on her ears and remove excess dirt.She has long hair on her ears and under her chin.I will clip her some today.I have a hose handy.She was moody yesterday but not real moody.She is gentle she just needs more work.

Register Now

In order to be able to post messages on the The Horse Forum forums, you must first register.

Already have a Horse Forum account?
Members are allowed only one account per person at the Horse Forum, so if you've made an account here in the past you'll need to continue using that account. Please do not create a new account or you may lose access to the Horse Forum. If you need help recovering your existing account, please Contact Us. We'll be glad to help!

New to the Horse Forum?Please choose a username you will be satisfied with using for the duration of your membership at the Horse Forum. We do not change members' usernames upon request because that would make it difficult for everyone to keep track of who is who on the forum. For that reason, please do not incorporate your horse's name into your username so that you are not stuck with a username related to a horse you may no longer have some day, or use any other username you may no longer identify with or care for in the future.

User Name:

Password

Please enter a password for your user account. Note that passwords are case-sensitive.

Password:

Confirm Password:

Email Address

Please enter a valid email address for yourself.

Email Address:

Log-in

User Name

Remember Me?

Password

Human Verification

In order to verify that you are a human and not a spam bot, please enter the answer into the following box below based on the instructions contained in the graphic.

Old Thread Warning

This thread is more than 90 days old. When a thread is this old, it is often better to start a new thread rather than post to it. However, If you feel you have something of value to add to this particular thread, you can do so by checking the box below before submitting your post.I am aware that this is an old thread and I want to revive it rather than starting a new thread.